Assigned to a new post, reserved British diplomat Justin Quayle (Ralph Fiennes) relocates to Kenya with his lovely young wife, Tessa (Rachel Weisz), an activist for social justice. When Tessa is found murdered out in the wilderness, circumstances point to her friend, Dr. Arnold Bluhm (Hubert KoundT), but it is soon clear that he's not the killer. Grief-stricken and angry, Justin sets out to uncover the truth behind Tessa's murder - and in the process, he unearths some disturbing revelations.